Review Summary: The darker side of Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge’s previous effort, ‘Blackbird,’ has garnered much respect and praise among music fans. By eventually ditching almost everything to start anew (labels, producers) and a chance to write songs for the first time as a band with frontman Myles Kennedy contributing guitar work, the album was in a sense ‘a sign of hope’ for the band which not long ago struggled with association with the band Creed. Three years forward, having established a name and a distinct sound for themselves, Alter Bridge released ‘AB III.’
While ‘Blackbird’ was definitely a sign of hope, ‘AB III’ promises to deliver a much darker side of the band. This is evident in the opening track ‘Slip to the Void,’ which features an intro with gloomy synth riff and slithery vocals which builds up and transitions into a heavy track as it goes on. Throughout the album, a sense of apocalypse, pessimism, and anger is conveyed through most songs. The lead single, ‘Isolation’ is the heaviest track the band has ever made, which rides on the energy of its monster riff. ‘Still Remains’ and ‘I Know It Hurts’ also display Alter Bridge’s heaviness. Tracks like ‘All Hope is Gone,’ ‘Show me a Sign,’ and ‘Words Darker than their Wings’ display the band’s darkest songs, pairing haunting music with lyrics without any traces of optimism. While the album has its strong points when going fast or slow, sometimes it just doesn't work. Tracks like ‘Make it Right’ and ‘Breathe Again’ could have belonged to the previous album music-wise and lyric-wise, while the Creed-like ‘Life Must Go On’ could have belonged to ‘One Day Remains.’ The obligatory ballad ‘Wonderful Life’ is also here. Still, despite small missteps, ‘AB III’ plays in the right direction. The album contains excellent work by the band, surprising listeners to the dynamics and depth of their music. This is evident on the track ‘Ghost of Days Gone By’ which at first treats the listener to radio-friendly rock and pulling out a surprise by the time it hits the bridge.
‘AB III’ can stand side-by-side with ‘Blackbird’ when we look at the band’s catalogue. The album only shows a darker persona of the band, while retaining the sound that made them distinct. They don’t break new grounds, but still it’s a solid effort that’s worth a listen.
